One doesn’t need to look very far to become aware of what is taking place in the world and this is because of how connected the world has become through technology. For instance, one only needs to turn a TV or a computer on or to look at their phone. Here, one will have the chance to consume as much news about the world and/or their local community as they can handle. Now, some people will believe just about everything they expose themselves to and then there will be others who question just about everything they hear. And as it is often unclear as to why the media focuses on what they do, this is a sensible approach to take.Reality When it comes to how someone views reality, the media plays a pivotal role. Therefore, it is clearly a good idea to question what one hears in the media and also from the people around them. Because while the media does have a big impact on how someone views reality, so do the people that they surround themselves with. And out of the need to be accepted and to fit in, ones can end up internalising the views of the people around them. It might not matter if these views are accurate and reflect what is taking place in the world and in their immediate environment; as ones focus could be placed on their survival needs. Their higher needs, such as their need to think critically, are then overlooked and one can then end up being caught up in ‘groupthink’.Critical Thinking This doesn’t mean that one should walk around feeling paranoid all the time and be in a constant state of vigilance. However, one has the ability to think and therefore it is vital that they use this ability to lower their chances of being manipulated by the media and other sources. And secondly, to question what the people around them believe and to come to their own conclusions about what they hear. Through thinking critically and having intellectual boundaries, one will have greater control over what enters their mind. The mind has been described as a garden and therefore what one puts in their mind will grow. Based on this outlook, it becomes clear as to why one needs to be discerning when it comes to what they accept as ‘the truth’.News Even though news can be good, bad or even neutral, the news that gets the most exposure is usually ‘bad’ news. This is what gets most people’s attention and pulls them into what is being sold by the media or by the people around them. One reason why bad news has a bigger impact than good news could be due to how important it would have been for our ancestors to be aware of the danger around them. As time has passed there may be fewer threats, but they’re still there. For example, if one doesn’t pay attention to something positive they are unlikely to be harmed and yet, if they don’t pay attention to something negative, they could lose their life. Clearly this is not black and white and one doesn’t need to be constantly focused on danger. In this day and age, if one is constantly focused on danger it could be a sign that they are carrying some kind of trauma or that they are in a dangerous environment.Point Of Focus So as human beings have been conditioned to focus on what is bad or negative, what is good and positive can end up being overlooked. And the mind also has a tendency to see life as being either black or white. One can then end up following the media and hearing about what is wrong about the world and due to how the mind works, they can then end up believing that there is nothing right about the world.Examples What causes one to form these beliefs can depend on what the media covers and therefore, what this causes the people around them to talk about. But the general topics are going to relate to what some humans are doing to the earth, each other and to animals. And if one was to only consume news that covers these topics and goes along with their minds tendency to see everything as being black or white, then it is to be expected that they will form an unhealthy view of reality. They are also training their mind to focus on what is wrong with the world. So the evidence that proves otherwise will end up being filtered out.Humanity After being overloaded with all this external negativity that one has allowed themselves to consume and having a mind that has been infiltrated by it, one could come to the conclusion that humanity has failed. However, this conclusion is nothing more than an effect of what they have focused on or what their environment is like. And after placing their attention on certain things, one has found that there is a disparity between what they are seeing and how they believe life should be. What one needs to ask themselves is: has this world ever been perfect? This is not to dismiss what is wrong with the world, but let’s not overlook what is right in the world. One doesn’t have to have a degree in history to know that there have always been problems on this planet.Today’s World This planet is made up all of types of people and from most of the evidence provided, it probably always has been. And amongst all that is wrong in the world, there continues to be examples of what is right. For example, the internet is a relatively new invention and this has made a massive difference. This has enabled people to connect from all over the world, created more opportunities and information can now be shared freely and to people who wouldn’t have had access to it before. Awareness So as one will only see what they have been programmed to see and as the mind works in polarities, it becomes clear how important it is for one to not only limit their exposure to all that is negative, but to observe their mind. Ultimately, it is up to one to chose whether they are going to be an example of what is right in the world or an example of what is wrong in the world. One will then be another example to others of how the world is going in the right direction or how it is going in the wrong direction.

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